Magic Brick Their Shot To Build Real Winner

George Diaz's weekend view -

The Orlando Magic bypassed a wonderful opportunity on Draft Day, gutting the heart of their team by taking a dollars-and-cents approach to building a franchise.

Unless Anfernee ''Penny'' Hardaway emerges as the Magic Johnson clone of the '90s, the Magic front office will have foolishly squandered its blind luck in the draft lottery.

At last check, I didn't notice that replacing Scott Skiles was a pressing need. Skiles is a consummate warrior who plays effectively with a high threshold of pain. He played a career-high 3,086 minutes last season, sacrificing body and limb.

Brian Williams, Orlando's delicate power forward, played 1,941 fewer minutes and had many physical and emotional problems that often exasperated coaches and teammates.

Simple math dicated that the team draft a power forward to ease the rebounding burden on Shaquille O'Neal. Instead, Orlando took a whimsical look at the future - perhaps based on outtakes from the movie Blue Chips that stars O'Neal and Hardaway - and missed the perfect opportunity to build the foundation properly.

Movies are make-believe, guys. Reality says that you still have problems.

Even if Hardaway makes an immediate impact, there are still a few loose bricks in the house: Williams, prone to the slightest injury, and small forward Dennis Scott, who seems intent on spending the off-season becoming a stunt double for Shamu.

Orlando's front-office staff spent the last month telling everyone that the No. 1 pick could be signed despite significant financial constraints. Add that to the disconcerting list of misleading information that the Magic have tried to peddle as truth in recent weeks.

The Magic could have bypassed Chris Webber and traded down for Jamal Mashburn, a move that would have addressed Orlando's immediate needs, still saved money and appeased fans.

Their actions reflect the cold, calculating nature of the sports business. Skiles felt the chill all the way up in his home in Indiana.

I suspect he will end up in New York next season, playing for a team that desperately needs a true point guard. Maybe the Knicks will win a title, passing through Orlando in the process.

Look for Brian Williams on the sideline. An ingrown toenail, I presume.